Duke Cunningham

Petition Seeking Pardon For Cunningham Has Just 13 Signatures After Three Years

Natalie Sherman | November 25, 2008, 2:30PM

The clock's running out on the Bush administration, which leaves just 56 days for the president to wipe criminal slates clean. Former California GOP congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham officially filed for a presidential pardon back in July, but sympathy for the man one author dubbed the "most corrupt congressman in history" appears pretty lackluster.

We noticed that there are only 13 signatures on an online petition designed to demonstrate public support for a pardon, even though it was posted nearly three years ago -- just two days after Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes.

The 66-year-old, who has a history of prostate cancer, was later sentenced to 100 months in prison.

Fred Johnson III is listed as the organizer of the petition. Mr. Johnson did not respond to an e-mail, sent through the petition site, asking for his thoughts on Cunningham's odds. We'll settle for yours.

Thomas Kontogiannis

More Trouble For Cunningham Buddy

Zachary Roth | November 20, 2008, 9:19AM

Looks like Thomas Kontogiannis -- who's now in jail for helping launder bribes for his friend, former GOP Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham -- has more legal woes. He's been accused in a newly filed lawsuit of participating in a scheme to steal more than $50 million, reports Newsday.

The lawsuit, filed by Manhattan-based DLJ Mortgage Capital, alleges that Kontogiannis and others drew up false loan applications on residential properties in Brooklyn and Queens, which they either owned or planned to develop.

Newsday goes on:

The applications were approved by one of Kontogiannis' mortgage funding firms, which then obtained the money from DLJ and the other institutions, according to court papers.

DLJ and the other lenders eventually discovered that the mortgages were never recorded, the complaint stated, adding that the scheme was only uncovered when monthly mortgage payments ended. A further investigation revealed that many of the properties were then sold by Kontogiannis and the other defendants, DLJ said in its complaint.

Kontogiannis' wife Georgia, and other relatives, are also named as defendants.

Cunningham pleaded guilty in 2005 to conspiracy to commit bribery and is serving an eight year sentence in federal prison.

During Cunningham's recent sentencing, a prosecutor told the judge that there was an ongoing criminal investigation into Kontogiannis' alleged mortgage fraud.